I tend to depend too much on myself instead of relying on God. I know I need to ask God to help me not to sin. When Adam and Eve fell into sin it was because they relied on their own strength, so they were easily manipulated by satan. Part of the Lord’s prayer is …
Have you ever been around a person who was the model of compassion and wished you could be more like that? If you have, you are not alone. “Compassion is a deep awareness of and sympathy for another’s suffering. Jesus is the model of compassion.”[1] No matter what your past has been, the good news …
Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” What was finished? His sacrifice was payment for our sins so He could extend mercy to us instead of justice. Justice is getting what we deserve. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God …
Failure can be an unpleasant experience, but also a learning experience. Failure can be humbling and can lead us to be more teachable. Sometimes, we won’t listen to anyone because we are puffed up with pride and think we know better. When failure comes, we begin to realize we were wrong. Maybe you are like …
I remember hiking in the Rocky Mountains and each of us had to carry heavy backpacks. Over time, the back packs seemed to get heavier and heavier and were quite burdensome. It would have been a lot easier on this trip if I was dressed more like a distant runner with light weight clothes and …
Shame is defined by Merriam-Webster as a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.[1] Guilt results from knowing that we have done something wrong, but shame tells us we are something wrong. When shamed we think we are not worthy and have trouble accepting forgiveness. Andrew Comiskey describes shame like this: “Shame …
People that build us up are especially important on our life journey. They are interested in us when others may not be. They inspire us when we feel like giving up and listen when we just need someone to talk to. If you have had someone like that in your life, you have been blessed. …
Have you ever experienced God’s intervention? What were some ways the Lord has intervened in your life? Where do you need God’s intervention today? As we read the Scriptures, we discover that God is a God of Intervention. Here are just a few stories you may be familiar with. God intervened and saved the life …
In the middle of a story about healing, Jesus inserts an unexpected comment. Matthew 8: 11 I say to you that many Gentiles will come from east and west, and will sit down to feast at the table, and enjoy God’s promises with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven because they accepted Me as Savior, 12 while the sons and heirs …
I remember meeting a man several years ago who was suffering from stage four cancer. At this time, he was expected to live less than one year. His life as he knew it would never be the same. There would be no more days of going to work and routine activities that had filled his …